Loma Vista Farm Food Forest

Vallejo Sustainable Backyard

Loma Vista Farm

It’s hard to find a more idyllic spot in Vallejo than Loma Vista Farm, an adorable parcel of land with red barns, mallard ducks, gardens, alpacas and even a peacock. It just got a little more adorable and sustainable because Sustainable Solano began installing an ambitious permaculture food forest on the site on Saturday. The concept of permaculture is, “Earth care, people care, fair share,” said energetic program manager Nicole Newell.

She and her team have been installing “food forests” in front yards and backyards all over the county with the help of a grant from the Solano County Water Agency. This installation will be a demo for people who want to learn more about things like gray water systems, collecting rainwater for plants, soil amending, and more. It’s a work in progress and students from the Vallejo school system will be helping out along the way, said Newell.

Site Details

Installation Date:

November 2017

Size:

1,800 square feet

Sun Exposure:

6-8 hours

Soil:

Clay

Number of Swales:

1

Secondary Water:

Rainwater

Roofwater diverted to swales

Total annual water impact:

31, 372 gallons

Design:

Designer: Kathleen Huffman

Plant List:

Installation:

Loma Vista Farm has been a resource for environmental education Vallejo’s children and community for over four decades. Farmer Rita, community volunteers and students from Loma Vista Elementary planted the under story of this permaculture demonstration food forest garden during a full-day educational workshop.

Vision for the Future:

The vision for this project is to educate local students and the community on permaculture planting, wise water use in a garden, how to grow food and sustainable landscaping practice. Through this project we hope to feed the community while being a source of inspiration for other home-scale permaculture efforts.